forbes



'2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. FORBES! PLATING sroous AND OTHER ARTIGLES.

Patented Mar. 10, 1868.

2 Sheets-Sham 2.

Patented Mar. 10

mtrh time gatmt ffxrr.

MARSHALL Lglyons'ns, OF WEST MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERIDEN BRITANNIA COMPANY. OF SAME PLACF.

Letters Patent No. 75,258, dated March 10, 1868.

'- IMPROVEMENT m PLmNe sroous m1) o'rnna narrows,

'ro ALL-WHOM- IT MAY eonennm Be it known that I, MARSHALL L. Foitnhs, of West Meridep, in the county oihlew Haven, and-State of Genneetieut, have invented'a new and useful-Process and Means 0'; Plating Spoons, Forks, and Similar'Artieles; and that the following ia full, ;e lenr, and exact description-rand speeification of the same;

- The object of my, invention is to .eoat spoons and simila'r artieles witha plating or covering-metal-in, such manner that the thickness of the plating-metal shall vvary at different parts '05 the articles, as desired, the thie'lh ness being greatest upon the parts mostexposed to wear. To this end my invention. consiststof the methedof 'coating the article unequally in the desired manner by immersing difi'erent portions of such article for diflerent:

' periods, in the depositing-bath of an eledtro-plat'ihg apparatus with which said article; is "oohneotednwhereby the parts whichnre immersed'forthe' longest'period-hat'eth e plating metal deposited thichelfi POD- fulfill.

in the depositing-bath.

" 'My'invention consists,'-furtl1er-, of the eorfihifnation of'a holder, adaptedo ooni uethe articles .to be coated, withregnlating mechanilifl, bl'means of which the articles may be partially immersed to the' required extent My invention consists, further,- of the combination of said holder (adapted toeon finethe articles to be coated) with mechanism by means of whieh'it may be tilted for theipui'pos of aryipg' the extent to which'the I irtielesitrmpartiall-y imrheised in thegdepositinghath.

,My-inrention may be carried into efl'ect in various ways, and the accompanying drawings represent'two pne form, and

Figures 112, and 3 representing respectively a plan, side tie w, and transverse section oi an apparatus of Figures 4 and 5 representing aplan and transverse section of an apparatus of a difi'erent form.

The holder A in each of, said two apparatuses is adapted to' the dimensions. aud forni of the article, which inithese examples is a teaspoon,-B, and, the holdeicen's ists of three bars, a, 'conneeted hyside-pieoee b b.

. The two side-bars Jaim e formed with rebates toreeeive respectively the point of the bowl and the end of the handle of the spoon, and the central bara is so placed 'relatirelyto the other two that the sphons-are-sprung over it when they are insertedin the holder, This holder is fitted at its'ends with trunnions or pivots c c,'o n

' which itmay be tipped, and the trunnions hf the holder in figs'. 1, 2, and 3,-are supported npon'adjnsteble bearings D1), which are connected with the-ends of the depositing-bath or tank E by meansofis'orews f, which pass throngh'slots in the shanks of the h'earingsthence, by raising or lowering these adjusts 1e bearings the I depth to which the article s (carried by the holder -may be dipped into the liquid thetank', sndfheldth'ere, can

be regulated undesired; The holder A ia also fitted with an adjusting-screw, H, whose point bears upon the rim of the tank, so that by turning said. screw the articles (carried hy the. holder) may he tilted upon the trunnions a e, asaxes; to vary the extent to which the said articles are dipped and held in'the depositin g-hath;

Inthe form of apparatus represented in figs. 4 and 5, the regulation of the depth to which the articles to be eoateil are' dipped, andat which they are held in the bath, is determined by tiltin gthem lay-means of the "adjusting-screw; and this apparatus isadapted alsoitothe progressire plating of the bowl and plilm'fif'thr! handle separately, the frame being tilted in one direction to plate the bowl and in thje'opposite direotion to plate the palm.. The form-of apparatus representedin digs; 1, 2, and 3, ismdapted to theprogre'sisire plating of both the bowl and palm of the handle, e ithe r simultaneously or separately, as found expedient. With either form of apparatus, the coating-metal lay, if desired, hedepo'sited upon a portion of the article in. progressivelydiminis'liing or increasing areas, as indioatedhy-the series of red lines upon the bowl of the spoon represented at fig. 6, or a patch of the coating-meta. may be deposited of substantially uniform thickness. If the deposit is to be efi'eeted in progressively-increasing areas, the distance to which the article dipped is progressively increased during the operation of electroplating, and vice term if the depositis to he efl'ected in decreasing areas.. When the articles: have receive'd the desired partialcoating, they may be taken from the holder, and

wholly'iuimersed in the bath, andcoated all over in theusnal manner, or the articles maybe first'ooated hniformly all .owier, and then have the thickness of seating increased at the dosiredg iarts by means my invention;

, constructed in the usual manner.

Both apparatuses described afford an easy means of regulating the precise extent of thecxtra partial thickness of coating-metahby regulating the depth of dip or partial immersion. Both also afi'ord a rcaidy means of conducting the galvanic current to the articles, as the holders are made of m'eta-lfor that purpose, so that the holder may be connected means ofa wime with one pole of the battery, while-the plates of coatingmetal immersed in the bath maybe connected with the other 'pole'of the battery in theni'sual manner. The

holders represented are adapted to the confinement of spoons, and to holding three at a timo, bu t they may he,

varied in. formhto suit the artiolesto-he held, and in extent to hold a greater or less-numbegrof artieles, as found eiq'iedie'nt, it having heen'fonnd exg edient, when. operating upon a large seale, to make the-holder long enough to extend from one side-to the other of the depositing-bath of the electro-platingsapnaratns, whioh maybe Having thus described-the modes in which I have. practised my invention, 'what I claim, and desire to seenpe by Letters Patent, is

The mode, snbstantially as before set forth, of coating spoons and similar artioles with ar eg nlated nnec tnalj thickness of the plating-metal by immersing different portions of the article for diflferentperiods in the bath of? the electro-plating-apparatns with which the artioln is connected,

Also, the combination of a holder, adapted to confine the article to be coated, with regulating-mechanism to hold the articles partially immersed to the required extent in the depositing-bath, substantially as before set forth.

' Also, the combination of a holder, adapted to confine the articles, with mechanism for tilting the article, so

as to vary the extent of immersion in the depositing-bath, substantially as before set forth. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this eighteenth day of January, A. D. 1868.

MARSHALL L. FORBES.

Witnesses:

James P. PLATT,

OnvxLLn-H; Pun. 

